(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: Two-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time World champion and six-time Diamond League winner, Christian Taylor will kick off the 2018 IAAF Diamond League season on May 4 in Doha, in what promises to be a phenomenal triple jump showdown at Qatar Sports Club.
USA's Taylor will go against Cuba's Pedro Pablo Pichardo once again in a battle that provided the greatest triple jump competition in history in the very same stadium at the 2015 Doha Diamond League.
Never before had two men jumped beyond 18 metres in the same competition but Doha 2015 saw Pichardo, the 2012 World Junior Champion and the 2013 World Championship silver medalist, break the stadium record to jump 18:06, just 2cm beyond Taylor's best jump of 18:04.
The re-match will provide one of the thrilling competitions of this year's Doha Diamond League. Taylor will start as the overwhelming favourite this year after dominating triple jump over recent years and will be looking for his fourth Doha crown.
However, further challenges will come from 2008 Olympic Champion and 2007 World Champion Nelson Evora of Portugal, 2016 Olympic bronze medallist and 2016 World Indoor Champion Bin Dong of China, and 2009 World Championship bronze medalist Alexis Copello of Azerbaijan.
Team Qatar's 2010 Asian Games bronze medallist Rashid Al Mannai will also line up.
USA fans will have even more to cheer for in the women's 100m hurdles as a stellar line-up of Americans will battle it out in an enthralling competition on the field.
Leading the field is world-record holder and recently crowned 2018 World Indoor Champion, Kendra Harrison, who took her first global crown in Birmingham in March and will be looking to get her 2018 Diamond League campaign off to a winning start.
However, her task will not be easy as reigning Olympic Champion and 2013 World Champion, Brianna McNeal (nee Rollins), returns to action.
Also lining up are silver medallist in the 2018 World Indoor Championships and 2018 World Indoor Tour winner, Christina Manning, 2008 Olympic Champion Dawn Harper-Nelson, and Doha Diamond League meeting record holder, Jasmin Stowers.
Fans can expect to be further amazed by Olympic and World medallists in the women's discus event.
Looking to add another victory to her impressive string of global titles is reigning World, Olympic, European and Diamond League Champion,
Sandra Perkovic of Croatia. With a season's best of 69.13, she is also in great shape to further her own Doha Diamond League record from 2013 of 68.23.
Perkovic will be up against stiff competition from 2009 World Champion Dani Stevens of Australia, who recently won her second Commonwealth Games title and finished in silver position behind Perkovic at last year's World Championships, and Cuba's Denia Caballero who beat Perkovic to win the 2015 World Championships and claimed bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
MENAFN2604201800630000ID1096773015
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.